18 Best Water-Based Lubes in 2022 for Toys, Partnered Sex & More

There are a seemingly infinite number of personal lubricants to choose from, and that includes the best water-based lubes. If you’re here, then you probably know how important lube is, whether you’re going solo or enjoying a sex toy for couples. Lube mitigates the friction you might experience when being penetrated by a penis or one of the best vibrators on the market and, in general, provides a good slip-and-slide experience that can intensify orgasms (and your overall sex life).

But with so many options out there, you might be wondering what the difference is between all the various lubes on the market. There are silicone, oil, and water, plus hybrid lubes, which are a combo of the aforementioned material. If you’re unsure what water lube has to offer, read on.

Should you be using water-based lube?

First off, there are no right or wrong lubes, but there’s certainly a better type of lube for each occasion. “Water-based lubes are kind of the jack-of-all-trades of lubricants,” Womanizer sex expert Gigi Engle, a certified sex coach and educator, tells Glamour. That’s why many people end up trying them out first.

Water-based lube is pretty versatile; it tends to be the best choice if you’re using a silicone sex toy, since silicone lube tends to break down silicone toys—and that’s a bummer you don’t want to worry about. Plus, water-based lubes make great partners in crime for latex condoms. “Water-based lubricants come in a variety of thicknesses and are safe lubes to use with latex,” Carol Queen, staff sexologist at Good Vibrations, tells Glamour. She also advises, “You should use lube with latex condoms because they are more comfortable and less likely to break if you do.”

Water-based lubes also tend to make solo and partnered sex feel better for some folks, and they’re super easy to find at drugstores (although you have way more options online, which we’ll get to shortly).

Any reason not to use water-based lube?

One downside that some find with water-based lubes is that they dry out quicker when exposed to air, as opposed to silicone, oil, or hybrids, so they might not be great for, say, foreplay. “I would not make water-based my first choice for a hand job, for instance,” says Queen, adding, “and they’re not great if you’re playing in water—because they’ll wash off too easily, even if you’re not fully submerged.”

You might also be sensitive to certain ingredients in water-based lubes, but almost all lubes differ in what goes into them, so it’s always smart to try out several samples to find one you love before you invest in a jug o’ lube.

Here are some of the best water-based lubes you can add to your cart.